


Homework or Netflix?

by Kivea



Series: The Daily Life of South Park Kids [5]
Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - High School, Comedy, F/M, Give Kids A Break, High School Woes, Humor, Like I don't think I even mention 'boyfriend's or 'girlfriend's it's just a canon thing, M/M, Not Shippy, let them rest, netflix, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 14:49:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13953900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kivea/pseuds/Kivea
Summary: “How do you…plan?”“Yes! Do I sort by grade in class, amount of work per class, or meanness of teachers?”Stan stared. He had no words.“Or…just…watch Netflix or something?”Stan never meant to have a party on a school night. But it turns out Kyle wasn't the only kid who needed a break from his life.





	Homework or Netflix?

Kyle coming round to his house unexpectedly wasn’t unusual. They were super best friends  _and_ they lived next door to each other. Sure there came a point where you stopped randomly turning up on someone’s doorstep (around the age of thirteen when even Kenny McKormick had a smart phone) and started texting in advance, but it was a habit the pair of them found hard to break. 

What was unusual was the mad panic in his eyes, arms that clutched his school planner and a large folder Stan knew to be for homework, and red ‘fro pinned back with a million and one hairpins he’d accumulated over the years from his mother’s collection in the bathroom. 

“Uh…you okay, dude?” 

“No,” Kyle rasped out. “I have too much homework.” 

“Well, you did take all the advanced classes.” 

“Fuck  _you_ Stan!” 

The Marsh boy leant against the doorway, looking out with a hidden smirk on his best friend. “So, what? Do you need help?” 

“No. Yes. I don’t know? I just-how do I  _plan_ this?!” 

“How do you…plan?” 

“Yes!” Kyle fumbled with the items in his hands before showing Stan a crudely drawn chart scribbled in thick sharpie across the pages of his planner. “Do I sort by grade in class, amount of work per class, or meanness of teachers?” 

Stan stared. 

He had no words. 

“Or…just…watch Netflix or something?” 

He raised a brow at that one. It was asked with the voice of desperation. Kyle was looking to him for the answer to his worries, something to sooth the pain that he was in from the mountains of homework that were in the folder and, judging by the size of the chart, probably sprawled out across his bed. When Kyle returned home it would still be there, waiting for him. If he didn’t get it done now he’d spend the next week with more work and less time to complete it in. 

The answer was obvious. 

“Netflix.” 

* * *

Kenny was the kinda guy who would just wander the neighbourhood looking for something to do or trouble to cause. Sure, it was usually seen as socially unacceptable to turn up on someone’s doorstep unannounced, but Kenny was a  _special_ case, especially when Karen was included. If you had the McKormick siblings on your door you didn’t just turn them away. Only assholes did that and Stan liked to think he wasn’t an asshole. 

At least not  _that_ much of an asshole. 

“Hey, Kenny,” Stan greeted with a smile. “What’s up?” 

“House’s a bit too loud. You mind if we hang here for a bit? I know how busy Kyle is…” 

Stan gave a wry smile, stepping back to allow the pair in. “Yeah, he’s  _super_ busy.” 

Karen rushed into the room with a wide smile and wasted no time in getting comfy next to her favourite redheaded Jewish kid, who greeted her with open arms and a wide hug. Kenny snorted at the action, hanging back a bit to make a remark at the scene in front of him. 

“He was saying how much homework he had. How he was gonna, like, die if he didn’t finish it.” 

“Yeah, he kinda looked like he was gonna die even if he did finish it, so we figured maybe he needed to take his mind off it for a while.” 

Kenny rolled his eyes at that. 

“You wanna make some food?” 

“That alright?” 

“Sure, man. You know my kitchen better than I do.” 

Kenny ruffled Karen’s hair, and Kyle’s hair, as he passed the couch and announced he was going to make them a late lunch. Kyle had already handed the girl the controller so she could pick whatever she wanted to watch as Stan made himself comfy on the couch the other side of her. 

It was the least he could do for two of his closest friends. Give them a bit of shelter from their own problems for a while. He knew Kyle would just have to go home to his bed where his homework still sat, untouched, and he knew Kenny would have to take his little sister home to the fallout of whatever argument Kevin and his dad had got in this time, but at least they could have an hour or two of peace, right? 

Wrong. 

* * *

Where there was Cartman, there was sure to be Butters close behind. Where there was Butters, there was sure to be a Cartman to follow. Stan didn’t think they planned it like this, it just kind of…happened. Like the fates of the universe wouldn’t let either of them have a moments peace from each other. 

Butters was the first one to appear. He was standing on Stan’s doorstep looking like a kicked puppy, knees pressed together and knuckle knocking against knuckle. 

“Hey, what’s up?” 

“Uh, gosh, I don’t mean to be rude or ‘nothing, but could I use your bathroom, Stan?” 

Stan raised a brow at the question. 

“Ya’see, I’ve been kicked out the house again, for-for being a gosh darn troublemaker, and, well, I don’t really wanna go in the bushes again. Last time this rabid dog tried to bite my wiener off!” 

“Sure, dude. Come on in.” 

With a sunshine smile that could do no wrong, Butters entered the house and made a beeline for the second floor toilet. 

The trio in his living room had paused the TV show long enough to watch the exchange and wait for him to explain. 

“They kicked him out. He needs the bathroom.” 

Kyle was on it in an  _instant_. “They can’t just kick him out! God, I’m so sick and tired of the way they treat him! It was better when they grounded him, at least then he wasn’t left to fend for himself!” 

Before any of them could argue there was another knock on the door. Stan pinched the bridge of his nose before he steeled himself to face the inevitable: 

“Cartman.” 

“Stanley,” was the sickly sweet voice from the other side. “I see you’re having a little get together  _without_ me?” 

“It wasn’t planned, it just kind of happened.” 

“Oh, I see. I’m sorry, I thought that over a decade of friendship was worth more to you guys than-!” 

“Oh for-just come in, Cartman. Jesus Christ.” 

The chubby brunette fluttered his lashes as he stepped in with an innocent smile that soon turned malicious when he took a look at the occupants of the room. 

“Have you opened a home for poor, neglected teenagers, Stan? Is that why I wasn’t invited?” 

Kenny was on his feet in an instant. “Shove off, fatass.” 

“What, did I hit a nerve?” 

Karen reached forward, stringing her hand through her brother’s. He sucked in a breath, a myriad of emotions flittering across his face, before he settled back down on the floor in front of the couch and reached for the controller to put the show back on. 

Butters descended the stairs to the newcomer and another thousand-watt smile lit up his face. Cartman’s expression crunched into one of disgust. 

“Hey there, Eric! You come to use Stan’s bathroom, too?” 

“No, I came to watch Netflix.” 

“Oh, well, I hope you have fun! I best head back out. My parents would be mighty sore if they found out I didn’t spend my time outside.” 

Stan reached up to stop the fair haired teen before he had the chance. “Dude, don’t. Just stay here with us. How are they gonna know?” 

“They always know, Stan.” 

“Did they tell you that you weren’t allowed to go to a friend’s house?” 

“Well…no, I guess not.” 

Stan disappeared to get his beanbag from his room, along with a couple of extra pillows to sit on. There were getting to be too many people cropping up unannounced. 

* * *

He was ready to throw a fit when there was  _another_ knock at the door, but Karen was on her feet in an instant. She skipped over to open it, revealing a sour-faced girl with strawberry blonde pigtails on the other side. 

Stan turned to Kenny who gave an apologetic shrug and smile. “She wanted to invite one of her friends round. I didn’t know who it’d be.” 

“A heads up next time would be nice.” 

“Sorry, dude.” 

The girls made themselves comfortable on the floor, taking a cushion each before they started to gossip amongst themselves quietly. Cartman spared them a dirty look before he continued to snack away on what Stan had managed to scavenge from his kitchen. 

He thought peace would’ve settled at that point. He readied himself for that being the maximum he would have in his living room. He was wrong. 

When his front door flew open he threw his hands in the air as he shouted: “Oh come on!” 

“What the fuck, Trish?” came a nasally voice from the door, a tall boy with a scowl etched onto his features standing in the doorway. “You were meant to help me with chores today and you’re slacking off at Marsh’s house?” 

She shot an equally fierce glare at her brother before raising her middle finger. “Why are you so embarrassing? I’m with my friend, can’t you just- _Tweek_!” 

The teens lining the couch watched as Tricia Tucker turned from a mini-version of her big brother to a ray of sunshine. A smile lit up her face and she shot to her feet, rushing to the door in order to push past Craig and reach a hand out for whoever was behind him. She dragged a pale arm into the room, revealing a hooded blonde to the rest of them that she was guiding over to where Karen was sat. 

“I’m so glad you’re here!” she gushed. “Craig’s so lame, but he makes up for it by bringing you places.” 

“Hey!” Craig shouted from the front door. “We’re not here to hang out, Trish, we’re here to get you. We have  _chores_ to do.” 

She made a disgruntled noise. “Karen needs company right now, I can’t just abandon her.” 

There it was. The ultimate trump card. For as much of an asshole Stan knew Craig could be, as much as he may have said no to one of the McKormick siblings in the past, the boy had always been a little easy to convince of things. The emotions that passed over the elder sibling’s face were almost comical with how expressive his features could be as Karen’s big doe eyes stared across the room at him. 

Tricia seemed to know she’d already won as she continued to drag Tweek to sit with her and Karen. 

“Have you even asked Stan if this is okay?” Craig bit back in desperation. “He might not appreciate having all these people in his house.” 

“That’s okay. We only need to keep Tweek.” 

The blonde in question let out a nervous yelp. “Keep me for  _what_?!” 

Cartman let out a long sigh, eyes looking upwards for help. “For fucks-Stan, do you mind if Tweek and Craig join us for our Netflix party?” 

Stan pulled a face. “You’re gonna have to sit on the floor, if that’s alright. We’ve kinda ran out of chairs.” 

Craig sighed in defeat. “Fine, whatever.” 

The boy made himself comfortable next to Tweek and Cartman let out a dry  _thank you_ as peace fell once again and they were finally able to get back to the TV, resuming the show that Stan hadn’t even realised Kyle had put on pause while the sibling drama unfolded. 

Stan couldn’t really hold it against Craig. Sister’s could be…persuasive. 

* * *

This time he was expecting it. The doorbell went and Kyle gave him a questioning look as he gestured to the controller, as if asking if he should pause. Stan shook his head and pulled himself off the couch, heading over to the door to see who it was  _this_ time. 

When he opened the door he looked over his shoulder to give Craig a nasty look. The blue-clad boy didn’t even look at him before he paused in his texting in order to raise a middle finger. Turning back to the door he noticed Cartman was also on his phone, the camera open. Snapchatting probably. 

God- _fucking-_ damn it. It was probably both of them. They were as bad as each other sometimes, Stan  _swore_. 

“What’s up?” Stan turned his attention to the teens on the other side of the door. 

A wide grin blossomed across Bebe’s attractive face as she pulled Clyde closer, the brunette peering behind Stan and mouthing as he counted who was in the room so far. Behind them stood Red, Nichole, and Lola, all with wide eyes and pretty smiles. 

“So I heard you were having a Netflix party,” Bebe started. “And I was wondering where our invitations were?” 

“I’m not having a Netflix party, people just keep dropping by unannounced!” 

She grinned at him, teeth shining white. “Oh! I guess we fit that perfectly then. What are we watching?” 

He grumbled as the girls pushed past him, Clyde sandwiched between them. There was some giggling and gossip as they all made themselves comfortable on the floor in front of the TV, requesting that Kyle and Cartman pass some of the cushions from the couch over. Stan supposed he should be grateful that none of them stole his seat. 

“So, can I, like, invite Token over?” Clyde asked with his phone already in his hands. “Cause he’s been  _super_ stressed with all his homework.” 

“Doesn’t Kyle share his classes?” Bebe asked with an air of false-sweetness. “I guess you must know the feeling, huh?” 

Pity spread across Kyle’s face as he answered on Stan’s behalf: “Of course, dude. Let him know he’s welcome round.” 

“Can we just-can we make a new rule?” Stan demanded. “If you want to invite anyone else just tell them the door’s open, alright? I’m sick of getting up every five minutes.” 

He should’ve never said anything. 

* * *

Before long almost their entire class was in the room. Kyle had given up his seat to Jimmy and was sat somewhere in the mess of students with Token, both occasionally murmuring their dissatisfaction at the amount of work they had to still do that neither could will themselves to finish at that time. Some of the kids who’d turned up had the foresight to bring their own beanbags or foldable chairs, sitting in groups around the TV that was still playing. 

Occasionally Cartman would throw something at someone and shout for them to keep quiet once it got too noisy to hear the TV, which Stan was immensely thankful for. He knew there was a reason they kept him around. 

There was the sound of the doorbell. Silence descended over the room as eyes turned to the front door, some questioning gazes falling on Stan himself, who scowled and shrugged. 

“Who’s that?” he asked the room at large. “Whoever invited them tell them to just come in.” 

No one made an effort to message anyone. There was a familiar, firm knocking. Three quick knocks. There were a few people who did that, but one person in particular sprung to mind. 

He felt a little nauseous. 

“Shit,” he scrambled off the couch and rushed to the front door as someone paused the film they’d moved on to. There was some murmuring as people slowly began to piece together the possibilities for who it could be, who was left? Most of their class was… 

“Wendy!” Stan gave his most charming smile, hoping it had some kind of effect. “Hey! What’s up?” 

Opposite him stood the dark haired girl, a scowl on her face and her hands planted on her hips. As soon as he saw her he knew he was in for it, though exactly what it would be he wasn’t sure of. “ _What’s up_?” she echoed. 

“Uh…” 

“I’ll tell you what’s up, Stanley,” she said through gritted teeth. “I found out you’re hosting a Netflix party for everyone who doesn’t want to do their homework!” 

“I didn’t  _mean_ for it to happen, it was just Kyle, but then everyone just-wait, what?!” 

She threw her hands in the air. “I cannot believe you! Encouraging people to abandon their studies? Do you know how hard Kyle’s worked to get to where he is? You’re his  _best friend_ , you should be helping him, not encouraging him to slack off!” 

“Wendy, that’s not-!” 

“I would’ve thought you’d care about him at least!” 

“The new season of Orange is the New Black is out.” 

She stopped. 

“We-uh-haven’t watched it yet,” Stan offered. “I didn’t want to without you. But seeing as you’re here…?” 

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to bribe me, Stan?” 

“I dunno…is it working?” 

She glanced over his shoulder. “There’s a lot of people in there.” 

“I have those chocolate mousse things you like in the fridge.” 

She held his gaze for a good ten seconds, but he could see the cracks in her armour. 

“Fine!” Wendy gave in as she stuck her nose in the air. “But I want your seat on the couch!” 

“You’ll be next to Cartman.” 

“I don’t care, I’m just sick and tired of sitting on the floor trying to sort through all this homework we have.” 

She made herself comfortable between Jimmy and Cartman while Stan went to the kitchen. When he came back Kyle had already navigated his way to the right series to start, the rest of the class buzzing with excitement at the show Stan had sworn off whenever someone had brought it up. 

Kenny held Karen close on the beanbag they were on, Tweek and Tricia next to them. “I dunno, Karen. This show’s a little bit adult. You sure you’re ready for it?” 

She rolled her eyes at her brother’s question. “Kenny, I’m not  _seven_ anymore. You don’t have to baby me.” 

Stan made himself comfortable on the floor in front of Wendy and mentally counted out the classmates he had to try and figure out if he was due anymore unexpected visitors. 

* * *

“I can’t believe this.” 

Cartman scoffed. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised, Stan. You’re the one who decided to host a Netflix party on a school night.” 

“I didn’t!” he huffed. “I didn’t  _want_ to host a party! Everyone just kept turning up! What, I was meant to just tell them to piss off?” 

“Sure, why not?” 

His head hit the lunch table. He let out a longsuffering sigh. 

All day their classmates had come up to him in various states of distress. Bebe had looked ready to tear his hair out, and he was surprised Craig didn’t actually punch him in defence of Clyde and Tweek, one nearly crying and the other on the verge of a panic attack. 

Wendy had been about as sympathetic as Cartman. They had one very brief discussion on it at the start of the day after Bebe and Red had confronted him before she stopped speaking to him. He hadn’t seen her since. 

Kyle arrived at their lunch table with Kenny in tow, bags under his eyes as he sat down in his usual seat. Stan felt a stab of guilt at the tired look across the other teen’s face. 

That was  _his_ fault. That was actually his fault. 

“Dude, I’m sorry,” Stan offered. “I should’ve never suggested we watched Netflix last night. I should’ve, I dunno, helped you with your homework or something.” 

Kyle gave a tired smile. “Don’t worry about it. It was really fun, even if I have tonnes of work to do now…it was worth it. I think I really needed a break.” 

“I think you need more than a break, Jew-rat.” 

“Ugh,” the redhead scraped his hands across his face. “Shit, I’m too tired, I don’t even care right now. Someone insult Cartman for me.” 

Kenny and Stan spoke in unison: “Don’t belittle his people, fatass.” 

“Thanks, guys. I think.” 

His three friends tried to stifle their laughter as Lola appeared to give Stan a piece of her mind and a list of all the extra homework she had today to complete on top of what she already had, Token stopping straight after with a firm pat on the shoulder and a sour look, giving some ‘friendly’ advice of next time, try hosting a party when they’re  _not_ all flooded with work. 

Kyle had a point though. It kind of had been worth it. And hey, everyone’s anger would probably blow over in a week. 

Hopefully. 

**Author's Note:**

> When I left school one of my friends gave everyone 'goodbye' cards before we all went our separate ways for uni, thanking us for things we did to help her through the school year. 
> 
> Mine said 'thank you for not taking this whole school thing seriously. It really helped me relax.'


End file.
